Meta Planning Sweeping Layoffs as AI Costs Mount

Cuts could affect 20% or more of the company as Meta seeks to offset costly AI infrastructure bets and prepare for greater efficiency.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 8:00pm by Ben Kaplan

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Meta, the parent company of Facebook, is planning sweeping layoffs that could affect 20% or more of its workforce, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The company is seeking to offset the high costs of its artificial intelligence infrastructure investments and prepare for greater efficiency brought about by AI-assisted workers.

Why it matters

Meta's planned layoffs reflect a broader trend among major tech companies to cut jobs and become more efficient, often citing improvements in AI systems as a key driver. This comes as Meta has been investing heavily in AI, including offering huge pay packages to attract top AI researchers, building new data centers, and acquiring AI startups. The layoffs highlight the challenges Meta faces in balancing its ambitious AI plans with the need to control costs.

The details

According to the sources, no date has been set for the layoffs and the magnitude has not been finalized. Top executives have recently signaled the plans to other senior leaders at Meta and told them to begin planning how to pare back. If Meta settles on the 20% figure, the layoffs will be the company's most significant since a restructuring in late 2022 and early 2023 that it dubbed the 'year of efficiency.' The company employed nearly 79,000 people as of December 31, 2022.

  • Meta laid off 11,000 staffers, or around 13% of its workforce, in November 2022.
  • Around four months later, Meta announced it was cutting another 10,000 jobs.

The players

Meta

The parent company of Facebook, which is planning sweeping layoffs to offset the high costs of its artificial intelligence infrastructure investments.

Mark Zuckerberg

The CEO of Meta, who has been pushing the company to compete more forcefully in generative AI and has alluded to efficiency gains from the investments.

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What they’re saying

“This is speculative reporting about theoretical approaches.”

— Andy Stone, Meta spokesperson (staradvertiser.com)

The takeaway

Meta's planned layoffs highlight the challenges the tech giant faces in balancing its ambitious AI plans with the need to control costs. As AI continues to transform the industry, more companies may turn to job cuts and increased efficiency to manage their operations, raising questions about the long-term impact on the tech workforce.